What are biological control agents?

Biological control agents are defined as the natural enemies of pests, and this includes various organisms that prey on or parasitize pest species. The purpose of using biological control is to manage pest populations by leveraging these natural relationships, thereby reducing reliance on chemical controls. Common examples of biological control agents include predators like ladybugs that eat aphids, parasitoids that lay eggs in or on pests, and pathogens such as certain fungi or bacteria that can cause disease in pest populations.

The use of biological control is considered an environmentally friendly approach to pest management since it often has fewer negative impacts on non-target species and the ecosystem compared to chemical pesticides. In contrast, the other options describe different concepts: chemical pesticides involve synthetic products that kill pests, artificially created pests do not exist in the context of pest management, and agents that promote pest resistance refer to methods that enhance plants’ or crops’ ability to withstand pest attacks rather than directly controlling pest populations.